Underground Gas Storage Buffer for Offshore Flow Assurance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore hydrocarbon production systems lack effective solutions for managing associated gas, often resorting to expensive and environmentally unfriendly methods like gas re-injection or flaring, and do not efficiently integrate hydrocarbon production and liquefaction units for increased uptime and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a floating hydrocarbon processing unit connected to a seabed reservoir via risers, with a gas export riser injecting gas into a buffer reservoir for temporary storage, and a floating gas processing unit that liquefies the gas for transportation to shore, allowing for independent operation of hydrocarbon and liquefaction units and enabling the management of associated gas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas is exported directly from the floating hydrocarbon processing unit to the floating gas processing unit, then the system requires continuous operation of both units, but this reduces system reliability and uptime when one unit needs maintenance or experiences interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a buffer reservoir as an intermediary component between the floating hydrocarbon processing unit and the floating gas processing unit. This buffer reservoir temporarily stores associated gas, allowing the two processing units to operate independently and enabling maintenance or interruptions in one unit without affecting the continuous operation of the other unit.
2Ease of manufacture
If gas re-injection or flaring is used to dispose of associated gas, then gas management is simplified, but this increases operational costs and environmental harm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the previously harmful or wasted associated gas into a beneficial resource by transporting it via buffer reservoir to a gas processing unit where it is liquefied and sold as a commercial product. This eliminates the need for expensive and environmentally harmful disposal methods like flaring or re-injection while creating additional revenue streams.
3Reliability
If a buffer reservoir is introduced between the hydrocarbon processing unit and gas processing unit, then independent operation and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer reservoir serves as a mediating infrastructure that decouples the operational dependencies between the hydrocarbon processing unit and gas processing unit. By providing temporary gas storage capacity, it allows each unit to be maintained, repaired, or shut down independently without impacting the other, thereby improving overall system reliability and uptime.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution eliminates the need for costly and environmentally harmful gas disposal methods, enhances system reliability by allowing independent operation of hydrocarbon and liquefaction units, and unlocks previously stranded gas reserves by providing a temporary storage buffer for gas during production interruptions.
Implementation Method 1
The gas buffer reservoir is configured to provide a flow assurance buffer between the floating hydrocarbon processing unit and the floating liquefaction unit by compressing and expanding gas
Implementation Method 2
a floating gas processing unit for processing and liquefying the gas received so that it can be transported to shore
Data Source
AI summary
A system for developing offshore hydrocarbon fields includes a floating hydrocarbon processing unit moored to the seabed and connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir via a riser and a wellhead on the seabed, the unit receiving and processing the hydrocarbon mixture received from the reservoir via the riser, and having equipment to separate the hydrocarbon mixture into oil, water and gas and store them in storage tanks. A gas storage buffer reservoir is placed at a distance from and isolated from the hydrocarbon reservoir. A gas export riser is connected to the floating hydrocarbon processing unit and the gas buffer reservoir to export separated gas and inject it into the gas buffer reservoir. A gas riser has one end connected to the gas buffer reservoir and another end connected to the floating gas processing unit for processing gas received from the gas buffer reservoir for enabling transportation to shore.